Switch construction



March 23, 1965 E. L. BARcUs 3,175,067

swTcH CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. e. 1961 INVENTOR. dz/@rdf 'zczzs BY m ZM ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,175,067 SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Edward L. Barcus, Anderson, Ind., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,423 9 Claims. (Ci. 209-166) 'Ivhis invention relates to an improved switch and more particularly to an improved manner of securing contacts to a switch housing.

In the manufacture of switches it is frequently necessary to secure stationary contacts to an insulating support member. Many means have been devised to accomplish this including staking, riveting, and molding the contacts into the housing. However, these and other methods are subject to inaccuracies in location of contacts in the housing member and frequently require expensive assembly techniques or intricate and expensive parts. This invention is intended to provide an improved switch construc tion whereby :contacts of simple configuration are easily assembled to the insulating housing or support member for accurate location thereon. A further advanta-ge of the invention is that, if desired, the contacts may also serve as the switch terminals to which electrical leads are connected, and further, the leads may be connected to the contacts prior to the assembly of the contacts with the switch lhousing thereby decreasing the cost of the switch assembly.

The invention is carried out by providing an insulating support member with depressions therein to locate land receive contact members and separate means to retain the contact member in place. More specifically, the invention contemplates utilizing blade-shaped contacts having a hook portion at one end and an insulating housing having walls with indentations to receive the contacts. Upon assembly the hook portions of the contact are slipped over the edge of the walls to help prevent removal of the con- `tact from the indentation and an insulating wafer is pressed into the housing between the walls to wedge the contacts in place.

The above and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following speciiication taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts and wherein:

FIGURE l is a partly broken away view of a switch embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of a switch taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded View of thie switch of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fnagmentary cross-sectional view of the switch of FIGURE 1 showing a contact partially assembled to the switch housing; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged isometric view of a contact according to the invention.

The following description relates to a specific embodiment of the invention and is illustrative of switches of the type for controlling lighting circuits in a vehicle. For example, la pair of the switches in combination may be utilized to control a directional signal circuit, or a single switch may readily be modified to control a directional signal cincuit. For clarity of disclosure, however, only a single switch will be described and may be actuated by any suitable means or connected'in any desired system.

Referring now to the drawings, the switch comprises a housing 1t) carrying a set of stationary contacts 12 which are connected to electrical leads 14, an actuator plate 16 which carri-es a bridging contact 18, and a cover plate 2i). The actuator plate 16 is connected to the housing 1t) by a pivot pin 22 which is journaled in an aperture 24 located 3,i75,67 Patented Mar. Z3, 1965 ICC at one end of the housing 10 and passes through a corresponding opening 26 in the cover plate 20L The pivot pin 22 is rigidly Iconnected to the actuator 15 by a sernated connection and is also connected to a switch actuating lever 27 for movement therewith. Both the housing It? and the actuator plate 16 are marde of insulating material and preferably of molded plastic. The housing 10 contains a Well portion defined by a curved end wall 28 opposite the pivot axis, the adjacent side walls 30, an interior curved end wall 32 which extends between the side walls 30 and which is radially spaced from the trst end wall 28, and 1a floor member 34. An external curved wall 36 spaced radially outward from the rst end wall 28 cooperates with the side walls 30 to form an enclosure, and the cover plate 20 snugly ts Within the walls 30 and 36 to prevent entry of dust and the like into the switch mechanism. The cover plate is optional and may be omitted Without impairing the switch operation. 'Dhe curved end walls and the external wall are concentric with the pivot aperture 24. The oor member has a plurality of apertures 38 adjacent and between the end wells 28 and 32. As best shown in FIGURE 4, the end walls have rectangular slots or indentations 40 formed therein, each slot 40 bein-g in alignment with one of the apertures 38 in the oor member. In addition, the end walls are provided with notches 42 in the top thereof corresponding to and coextensive with the slots 46.

Referring to FIGURE 5, each contact 12 has a thickness equal to the depth of the slots` and notches in the end walls and has the same lateral width :as the slots. Each contact 12 has as its Contact area a fiat rectangular blade portion 56 adapted to seat snugly within a slot of an end ,wall on assembly and has at its upper end a hook portion S2 comprising \a horizontal ear 54 terminating in a depending flange 56. The lower end of the blade portion has a shoulder 58 turned in the same direction as the horizontal ear 54 and terminates in a conventional terminal connector 60 for crimping to an electrical lead 14. A slug or wafer 62 of insulating material such as Bakelite having substantially the same size and configuration as the periphery of the Well is pressed into the well adjacent the floor member 34 to tightly hold the contact members 12 in place and to seal the apertures 38 in the floor member.

The preferred method of assembling the contacts to the housing is first to crimp the terminal portions of the contacts to electrical leads, and then to insert the contacts through the apertures 38 of the floor member 34 from underneath, to slip the hook portion 52 into the notch 42 on the wall, as shown in FIGURE 4, and nally to insert the blade portion into the slot 40 so that the shoulder portion 58 engages the underside of the floor member 34. The insulating wafer 62 is then pressed into the well to thereby preventing the contacts 12 from being moved at thebottom so :as to disengage the shoulder 58 from the floor member 34. Then it is readily seen that the hook portion 52 in cooperation with the shoulder 58 prevents any axial movement of lcontact after assembly. The flange 56 and the Wafer prevent Iany forward movement of the contact and, of course, the sides of the slot prevent any lateral movement. Hence the contact is accurately located by reason of the molded slots and rigidly held in place by the simple means just described. The surface of the blade portion 5t) is flush with the end wall on which it is mounted.

'Dhe 'actuator plate 16 has three depending fingers 64 which, when assembled to the housing, extend through slots 6e in the cover plate and into the well. The bridging contact 1S is fonmed from a strip of resilient conductive material such as spring bronze which comprisesfthree` U-shaped sections, each adapted to wrap around a finger 64 with the bottom of the U projecting outwardly toward .y 3 the nearest end wall so that the U-shaped portions of the bridging contact 18 will selectively engage the stationary contacts 12 according to the relative position of the actuator plate with respect to the housing. The contact surfaces or the stationary contacts are flush with the walls of the housing to facilitate the wiping action of the bridging Contact as it is moved from one position to anther by the actuator plate 16. An examination of the specificY contact arrangement shown in the drawings shows that the bridging contact 18 is adapted to electrically interconnect the contact on end wall 32 with one of the contacts on the end wall 28, -or alternatively interconnect the other pair of contacts and the end wall 28, depending upon the position of the actuator plate.

t is understood, of course, that any suitable contact arrangement or number of contacts may 'be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is readily seen that this invention provides an improved switch construction whereby contacts may be alccurately and securely mounted on a housing by a simple assembly procedure and further provides a reliable and inexpensive switch.

The specific embodiment of the invention described herein is intended to be illustrative only, and the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A switch having a housing comprising opposed Walls and an intermediate oor member, indentations in said walls deining slots, contact members snugly embedded in said slots, hook means on the contact members extending over'and engaging said walls, and an insulating member adjacent the floor and frictionally secured between said walls and bearing against said contact members whereby the insulating member and hook means cooperate to prevent removal of the contact members from the slots.

2. A switch comprising a housing, ystationary contacts secured thereto and a movable conductor element associated therewith, said housing including wall portions, indentations formed in the wall portions receiving the contacts, and insulator means in said housing conforming to the wall portions thereof and the contacts and frictionally secured therebetween retaining the contacts in the in dentations.

3.V A switch comprising a housing, stationary contacts secured thereto and a movable conductor element associated therewith, said housing including wall portions, rectangular indentations formed in the wall portions to receive the contalcts, and notches formed in the top of the wall portions adjacent the indentations; each of the contac'ts comprising a blade portion seated in one of the indentations and a 'hook portion seated in the corresponding notch; and insulator means fitted in said housing conforming to the walls thereof for retaining the contacts in the indentations.

4. A switch comprising a housing, stationary `contacts secured thereto and a movable conductor element associated therewith; said housing including wall portions, indentations formed in the Wall portions to receive the contacts; said contacts each having a blade portion conforming to its respective indentation and fitting flush with Y the adjoining wall portions, a finst hook portion extending over the top of the wall portion, and a second hook portion extending under the wall portion; and insulator means fitted into said housing and conforming to the walls thereof for retaining the contacts in the indentations.

5. A switch comprising a housing, stationary contacts secured thereto and a movable conductor element associated thenewith, said housing including wall portions, indentations formed in the wall portions to receive the contacts, insulator means wedged into said housing and conforming to the walls thereof for retaining the contacts in the indentations; and an actuator plate forming a cover for the housing and pivotally mounted thereon, said conductor element secured to the actuator plate and adapted to selectively engage the contacts according to the relative positions of the actuator plate and housing.

6. A switch comprising a housing, stationary contacts secured to the housing, an actuator plate vmovably mounted adjacent the housing and a bridging contact carried by said plate and .adapted to selectively engage the stationary contacts; said switch being :characterized by walls in the housing having depressions therein to receive the stationary contacts, a floor member having 4an aperture therein adjacent each depression to permit insertion of the stationary contacts, leach contact having hook means to engage the walls and hook means to engage the floor member, and an insulating member coextensive with the space between the walls to retain the contacts in the depression.

7. A switch comprising a housing, stationary contacts secured to the housing, an actuator plate movably mounted adjacent the housing and a bridging contact carried by said plate and adapted to selectively engage the stationary contacts; characterized by walls in the housing having depressions therein to receive the stationary contacts, a oor member having an aperture therein adjacent each depression to permit insertion of the stationary contacts, each contact having hook means to engage the walls and hook means to engage the floor member, and an insulating member adjacent the iloor member and coextensive with the space between the'walls to retain the contacts in the depressions and to form a closure for the apertures in the iloor member.

8. A switch comprising a housing, stationary contacts secured to the housing, an actuator plate movably mounted adjacent the housing; characterized by walls in the housing having depressions therein to receive the stationary contacts, a floor member having an aperture therein adjacent each depression to permit insertion of the stationary contacts, each contact having hook means to engage the Walls and hook means to engage the floor member, an insulating member 4coextensive with the space between the walls to retainthe stationary contacts in the depressions, and a bridging contact #carried by the actuator plate and resiliently biased into wiping engagement with the wall and stationary contacts to selectively engage the stationary contacts. Y v

9. A switch comprising a housing and an actuator plate, a pivotal connection between the housing and cover plate at one end thereof, said housing having at least a pair of radially spaced 'curved walls concentric with the pivot axis, slots in the walls, contacts seated in the slots with their contact areas flush with the walls, insulator means extending between the walls for retaining the contacts in the slots, a bridging contacter secured to the :cover plate for movement therewith, said contacter extending 'between the walls and radially spring biased to wipingly engage both walls and the contacts therein to selectively inten' connect the contacts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,830,139 4/58 wens 2Go-166 FOREIGN PATENTS 246,815 l0/47 Switzerland.

936,034 2/48 France.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examinez'. ROBERT KfSCHAEFER, Examiner. 

2. A SWITCH COMPRISING A HOUSING, STATIONARY CONTACTS SECURED THERETO AND A MOVABLE CONDUCTOR ELEMENT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING WALL PORTIONS, INDENTATIONS FORMED IN THE WALL PORTIONS RECEIVING THE CONTACTS, AND INSULATOR MEANS IN SAID HOUSING CONFORMING TO THE WALL PORTIONS THEREOF AND THE CONTACTS AND FRICTIONALLY SECURED THEREBETWEEN RETAINING THE CONTACTS IN THE INDENTATIONS. 